Introducing jazz into music education in China: A teaching method for Chinese children, its implementations and outcomes

In the last 20 years, jazz education in China has been increasingly appreciated among most music conservatories and universities with a music department. Thus, Chinese jazz educators have paid more attention to college jazz education in higher education and jazz education for adults. However, the pedagogical methods, teaching materials, literature, and empirical studies on jazz education for children in China are limited. Significant knowledge gaps remain for music researchers to explore. Hence, this study develops a pedagogical method for jazz music for children at different levels of basic music knowledge and performance skills. This study mainly focuses on individual and collaborative piano teaching. Moreover, the study designed a series of teaching materials (including sheet music, teaching plan, and listening materials) based on prior studies and jazz learning and teaching experience, which have been tested as a teaching method. This study innovates suitable teaching methods and materials for Chinese children to learn jazz and ascertains whether they could benefit from jazz learning by improving their musical abilities and creativity. The study author was the only tutor throughout the whole action plan and employed interviews and questionnaires as the main research instruments to probe the effects of jazz learning on Chinese children. The participants were eleven Chinese children aging between seven and ten years old and their parents also acompanied them throughout every process of this study. The main findings are that jazz learning has positive effects on Chinese children's music abilities and creativity and the learning efficiency is based on a suitable jazz teaching plan, the proper guidance from the jazz tutor and the cooperation from parents. The main relevance of this study is its application of the developed teaching materials to music education for Chinese children, offering music teachers familiar with jazz music a fresh new option for music education for children. All rights reserved.